8 Dancing Princesses
by JulietVargas
Summary: Eight young men are trapped in different ways. Their chance of freedom seems possible when a fairy godmother appears to each and says she will grant their wish. But in order for their wish to be granted there is an unexpected price. They must become a girl every night there is a ball, and the spell will be broken as soon as the clock strikes midnight. Can they handle this?
1. Prologue

Every good story begins with an interesting plot, and intriguing characters. And every good fairytale begins with the words...

_Once Upon a Time_

This story is no exception, though there may be some surprising twists and turns in that it does not simply follow one main character and their personal fairytale, but it weaves together several lives and several tales that all begin from one simple wish.

That wish?

_Freedom_

And what of the characters? Well that's where our story really begins isn't it...because the characters are not driven by the plot...rather the plot is driven by the characters and their desires. Their wish.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Once upon a time in a land divided between 7 royal lines, lived 8 troubled princes. There was Alfred, the youngest and most charismatic. He suffered from what many would call the "only child syndrome". The boy was selfish and spoiled so he expected to always get what he wanted without having to lift a finger for it. Perhaps a typical prince in that he was always bored as well.

Then there was Heracles, another lazy prince with a love of cats. In fact it was only cats that he seemed willing to talk to and get along with. Perhaps this could stem from the fact that Heracles was the child of a god. His mother never talked about his father except to say that he was handsome and had swept her off her feet, literally, he had abducted her in the way that gods tended to do, and not once, but several times until she had announced that she was pregnant, then he had never come again. To say that Heracles hated his father for this would be a gross understatement. So yes, the young prince had his own problems as well and not any that he was willing to share with the rest of the world.

Then there was Mathias, an energetic and loud mouthed young man with a love of combat and a tendency to claim responsibility for someone else's victory or noble deeds. This had caused much contention between himself and his men and there were few that would willingly go out on a quest with him any longer. More to the point, there were few that would believe the things he claimed he had seen or done when he returned from a quest with those forced to go with him. They wouldn't even believe the men that had been with him, assuming he had bought them off with untold riches. So Mathias was left to stew in frustration over the fact that no one believed his tales about fairies and elves and mermaids, or rather merman, for he had only seen one and he had been male.

Then there was Berwald, a frenemy of Mathias' with an unfortunate problem of his own. Unlike the other princes who had issues based on personality, Berwald had difficulties based on looks. His eyes were naturally sharp and made more sinister looking by his facial structure which gave off the appearance of a perpetual scowl. It quite pained the gentle prince that everyone always believed he meant them harm or was displeased because they simply couldn't look past the surface of his appearance. And that is what he longed for most, for someone to look past his face and imposing frame to the man underneath, the gentle and loyal man who liked dogs and children, though both were terrified of him, and just wanted a companion to love and be loved in return.

Then there was Antonio, a prince with an unfortunate parentage like Heracles. Antonio was the son of a fine respectable human king...and a demon mother. It was for this reason alone that people treated Antonio warily and always expected him to suddenly turn into the half-demon child that he was by blood. So it was for this reason that Antonio strove to be the most cheerful and upbeat person he could, even to the point that he appeared quite oblivious to the whispers and cold words and signs thrown his way. He wasn't of course. He caught and was stabbed through by all of it, but he tried desperately not to let it get to him, because that was what he feared the most, letting himself be controlled by others unrest and possibly allowing that to turn him into exactly what they feared...and what he feared as well.

Then there was the kingdom where two princes were candidates to inherit from their grandfather. Gilbert was the elder. Very laid back and with the appearance of uncaring about his situation. He was full of himself, even more so than Alfred, and expected everyone to feel the same way, which is what led him to not having many friends, and to the whispers that he would never find a suitable partner in life because no one would ever fall for someone that put themselves above all the rest, and if they did, then they weren't the type of person that was suitable to be a possible queen. As for the younger brother, Ludwig was much more dedicated to his tasks for the kingdom and not full of himself in the least. He knew he had flaws but couldn't figure out how to amend them. He often times appeared strict and perhaps even cruel, but under the surface he was really quite kind and caring, if there was just someone that was willing to put up with his outward attitude long enough to see this.

And last of the royals was the one that hadn't been seen in about two years. Prince Feliks claimed the kingdom to the far far east of the land and had inhabited quite a magnificent palace with all the same flare and pizzazz which he himself carried. His home had been the host of many a grand gala and then his halls had sparkled with freshly shined glass and sparkling crystal and spectacular furnishings and draperies of all colors. But that was two years ago...and this was the present. And at present the palace was closed off, the staff appeared to have disappeared, the ballrooms and halls were dark and dusty. The road to the castle was draped over by thorny blood rose bushes which put off any traveler who was curious about what had happened to the prince. And what had happened to the prince? A curse. Revenge from the woman, the dark fairy, he had spurned. She had turned Feliks into a beast, an indescribable creature that terrified those travelers that braved the path and entered the palace. And for this reason Feliks despaired still the more, for those travelers were hope, hope that always fled. For the fairy had given him a way out of his predicament...that if he could find somebody to love and earn their love in return then the curse would be lifted and all could be as it was again. But with each fleeing traveler Feliks fell deeper into despair, for he only had till his 21st birthday to find this person...and with it being Spring of the new year and his birthday in Summer, that despairing day was fast approaching.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Now in this vast land there were also some common people struggling with their own issues, as expected, more-so than the royals. And while some of these problems were common for their status in life, there were a few who were also dealing with extra distress brought on by circumstance.

First there was Arthur, a young man that was like a servant in his own household because his father had died and his mother and two brothers refused to do anything. He could leave of course, but on his death bed his father had charged him with the task of caring for his widow and other two sons, especially Peter as he had been just a child of seven at the time of his father's death. And so it was that Arthur had no choice but to honor his father's wishes and care for his family lest he be called ungrateful for all his mother had done and cruel to his brothers. But lately, his family's treatment and expectations of him had been getting more and more ridiculous, and Arthur wanted nothing more than to escape, in any way possible that wouldn't damage his reputation.

Now Arthur lived in a town on the edge of the forest that Feliks' palace resided within, and also within this town was a young baker's apprentice named Toris. Toris was a kind hearted soul that liked nothing more than to put smiles on people's faces by baking wonderful treats. His family had been carpenters as long as he could trace back, so it had come as quite a shock when Toris had decided that the life just wasn't for him. Unlike many father's who forced their son to carry on the trade no matter their own personal wishes, Toris' father had respected his decision and wished him luck in his new chosen path. Toris was grateful for this and he made certain to show his parents by bringing back delicious treats and breads for them each day after work. And things were good, apart from a growing need within Toris for a change, for some adventure. A time or two he had hoped that his instructor might take him with him on a venture to a distant city on a baking competition, but it had yet to happen. So Toris had only to wait, bake, and wish.

And neither of these young men knew about the hidden, nor about the curse, nor about magic as a reality for that matter. But the toy maker in that same town knew about magic, he knew about it, and he cursed it every day. He was not a young man by any means; he had been married, had a child, and had a grandchild. But in his youth he had made a grave mistake. He had believed himself to be in love with a beautiful young woman, but when he had discovered that she dealt in magic and sorcery he believed himself to have fallen under her enchantments. And so he had spurned her and told the evil to get hence. This had been his mistake, for she had not enchanted him in the least and had hoped that maybe he would be the one that was truly meant for her. So with his rejection, she sought revenge on him, and as her master was Rumplestiltskin, she knew exactly what would hurt the most. But she couldn't do it so soon as that, not his child, she would let him have his children. Let him watch them grow up and get married themselves, but the first grandchild, on his or her 16th birthday she would snatch them away. It would be ultimate revenge! And this is why Romulus Vargas cursed magic, because he lost his beautiful young wife and their second child when his daughter was about 3, and after raising her into a beautiful young woman and handing her over into her husband's care, and then caring for her and her unborn child when her husband was killed in a riding accident, and then being helpless to do anything as she died in childbirth...even after all of that, the grandson that he had raised from a baby into a fine young man of 16, was taken away by the sorceress he had spurned so many years ago. And though he searched and searched, he could find no trace of her or Lovino. Until prince Feliks' castle was closed off and whispers started that a strange young woman had been seen in the forest. Then he had believed that the witch had reemerged once more. But what was he to do about it, he was an old man with no strength in fighting left, all he could do was make toys and craft beautiful porcelain dolls. And his dearest created treasure was the little doll he had based off his grandson. The doll was not identical to Lovino, it had a curl to the left side of his lighter auburn brown hair unlike Lovino's which had swept more from the front. And the dolls eyes were a color that closely matched the hair like his own, unlike the hazel-green that Lovino had inherited from his grandmother. But he had still poured so much of his heart, and longing for his grandson to be returned, into the doll, that he considered it almost like a second grandson to him, and he had even named it. Feliciano.

Now there are two types of magic in this world and both work and can manifest in different ways. And good magic has a tendency of making itself at home through the most simple of actions. Actions of love mostly. For the little doll, Feliciano, had been crafted with such love and heart that a small spark of magic had appeared inside of him, which gave him a soul. He could not move, not be even considered alive, but he could stare out at the world around him; he could watch his creator and consider him his grandfather...and love him...and wish...wish to be human so that he could comfort the old man until his actual grandson be found, if that ever would happen. If a doll could cry, he would. He had never known Lovino, having been created about a year after the boy had been stolen and never had a picture of him held up before his porcelain face. But even without knowing him, Feliciano still felt love for him and therefore sadness at his kidnapping. And even though it had been several years since that event, and Lovino would be a young man of about 20 now, these feelings had not diminished, and in fact had grown stronger along with his desire, his wish to be human.

As for Lovino, the young man was just one of several children that the sorceress, who with her connection to Feliks can be classified as a dark fairy, checked in on every now and again. Nor was he the only one that she kept locked away in a tall tower in one of the many hidden sections of Feliks' forest. But he was the only one that she wished she could kill whenever she came to see him. Never had she thought that a boy could be so frustrating and demanding. None of her other local charges behaved this way, granted one of them was now a swan so he couldn't exactly humanly argue.

Matthew was a child that her master Rumplestiltskin had acquired through his strange agreement with young women that claimed to spin straw into gold. Why anyone would ever make such a claim was beyond her but it appeared to happen quite often, because over the years Rumplestiltskin had acquired several children and hidden them in several different places. The two that she looked after apart from her own acquisition of Lovino were Matthew and Tino. Matthew was the one currently living as a swan, but when he had been born he had been the older royal brother of Prince Alfred. She sort of felt bad for the poor boy but her master's spells were the only ones she couldn't seem to break, and Rumplestiltskin had died by his own temper just the year before. So Matthew was stuck as a swan, but she did take pity and visit him as often as she could. Then there was Tino. Tino was from a royal line that no longer existed due to troubling circumstances that have nothing to do with the fairytale. Tino was hidden in a normal house and free to come and go as he wished, except for the magical barrier that prevented him from getting more than 100 feet away. So perhaps free wasn't exactly the right word. But he had his little companion dog and the other animals who could pass through the barrier. And he also had his sewing. With nothing much else to do, Tino had quickly taken up the pastime of sewing and spinning. It was about the only thing that he asked of Maleficent, more thread or yarn and cloth to embroider.

It is easily imaginable then that these three captives also wished for freedom from their mundane circumstances. As did Maleficent's other captive child, though his by consent, Kiku. Kiku, unlike her other charges, was not human. He was actually a forest spirit that belonged far away in a distant land. A kitsune, a creature that appeared as a fox for the majority of their lives, and on the rare occasion that they were human, they still sported fox ears and tail and their teeth were slightly sharper. The skulk that Kiku belonged to was one of the most well known around by all the spirits of the forest, and even some of the humans in the nearby village. It's leader was an ancient kitsune named Yao who had never found the right mate so he had no descendants of his own. What he did have were orphans or runaways from other skulks that he had taken in and raised from the time they were kits. Kiku was just one of 6 and not the oldest either. And it was the youngest of them that caused him to be in his current predicament. The littlest member of the skulk had made a grave mistake several years ago when the sorceress Maleficent had been in the area. He had stolen too close to her as she was resting in their forest by a small stream one day and with some investigation he had discovered that her cloak sparkled and shimmered on its own from the magic contained within it, and he had wanted it. So he had stolen the cloak without even thinking of the consequences. But the consequences had followed him, for Maleficent had placed tracking magic on her cloak should something like this ever happen. She had arrived at the skulk and demanded that the cloak and its thief be returned to her. Fearing for his little skulk brother's safety Kiku had offered to take his place instead. Maleficent had admired the kitsune's selflessness and had agreed and taken him away. She treated him the kindest out of all her charges and let him have the most freedom because she knew that he would not steal off and so long as he had his special garden to remind him of home he was happy. At least that's the way it had been, but now after several years of living under Maleficent's clutches, even Kiku longed for freedom and hoped that maybe soon it would present itself.

And lastly in this kingdom were the magical creatures, who unlike Kiku, had actually been born and raised there. But the only kind of true importance for the sake of our story is the mermaids. Now while prince Mathias did lie about many things, he had told the absolute truth about meeting a merman. What he did not know however was that this particular merman was a prince like him. Prince Lukas was the elder son of the aging king of the merfolk that called the sea of the particular kingdom their home. Lukas was a peculiar boy who didn't like talking very much and preferred to spend time wondering about the world he only had knowledge of, the world of the humans. So it was that one particular day he had gone into a secret cove and hoisted himself up on the rocks to look over at the magnificent castle high above him, and the little village that lay just below. And that is where Mathias had come upon him. And though Lukas had quickly dove back into the pool and out to sea again, he had still come back up before leaving entirely and had watched the awestruck young man standing on the rocks watching him in turn, and he had decided that, maybe someday, they would meet again.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

And so these are the characters whose wishes and choices will drive the plot of our tale. One could argue that the plot is in truth directed by Maleficent and her sister and it is indeed true that they had a large part to play in it, but even their actions and choices would not have come to be were it not for eight princes, four humans, a kitsune, a swan, a merman, a doll, and a single shared wish...

_Freedom_


	2. Chapter 1

Ch.1 Of Painted Faces, Royal Announcements, and Ponds

Romulus Vargas was alerted to the entrance of a customer by the tinkling bell over the door. He had just lifted his most precious treasure off the shelf above his work desk, and carefully set it down on the wooden surface while addressing the customer.

"I'll be with you in a moment."

"Please take your time, sir. I'm in no rush to get home."

Romulus turned to the visitor in delight.

"Why Arthur, it's you. What a pleasant surprise. It's good to see you."

Arthur Kirkland smiled at him in turn and bowed. The young man might not be of the aristocracy per-say, his mother was of noble blood while his father had been a commoner, but his father had taught him respect for his elders.

"It's good to see you too, sir." He smiled and looked around the shop. When he was younger the painted faces and immobile limbs of the fine dolls staring down at him from the shelves had been rather frightening. But as a young man of 21 he could now appreciate the amazing detail, precision, and care the toymaker made to each. He also admired the incredible toys that the aged man could still whip out so easily. As a child he had been given such toys from this shop on every birthday and the end of the year festival. But ever since his father had died, it was his brothers and mother, not him, that received every single present. And it was for his littlest brother and mother that he was in the shop that day.

"Sir, if you're not too busy..."

"I'm not busy with any orders at the moment dear boy, don't worry about it. Just adding a fine little jacket to my Feli here. Why don't you come around and tell me what you think."

Arthur came forward and slipped around to stand behind Romulus as he had been instructed, and marveled at the doll on the man's work desk. He had seen it on the shelf before of course, always right above Romulus' desk unlike the others which the man changed positions every so often. But this was the first time that he had really looked at it up close. The detail and skill on this doll appeared to have gone above and beyond that of the others on the shelves. This doll could have been alive. He half expected it to stand up on its own and walk over to him grinning. And yet, he also knew the sad history behind it. Lovino Vargas had spent most of his childhood in his grandfather's shop as the man was the one to raise him, so Arthur had seen him many a time, before he had disappeared four years ago. Romulus had insisted that he had been taken by an evil sorceress, but most of the village had called him a senile old fool for believing in magic and simply thought the young 16 year old had run off with one of the village girls. Though how they could believe that when nobody else's daughter had disappeared around the same time was impossible to understand. Arthur himself wasn't sure what he believed. What he did know was that Romulus had not been the same since the event. It had not been long after the event that he had created his special little doll, Feliciano, modeled after his grandson. And before that he had closed himself off from the rest of the village, only interacting with them over toy commissions, with the exception of Arthur and a handful of other young people who still showed some form of care to their old toy maker.

Young people like the one who entered the shop now, accompanied by a sweet aroma.

"Mr. Vargas, I was allowed to take some fresh tarts today. I thought you might like some. Oh..." Toris Laurinaitis stopped just inside the door as he spotted Arthur, "I didn't realize you had a customer. I can come back la..."

"Oh just close the door and come over here, Toris." Arthur laughed slightly, "Mr. Vargas was just showing me his latest creation."

"Latest addition to my favorite creation." Romulus corrected him with a smile. He carefully pulled the little jacket over the dolls stiff porcelain arms and then brushed it down the front to smooth it into place. Then he stood back and admired his work with a sad smile, "Ah my little bello Feliciano. Would that you could tell me what you think of your new little jacket."

Toris and Arthur looked at each other sadly. They knew how deeply Romulus hurt from Lovino's disappearance. And how much he longed for the little doll created as the boy's replacement to be alive and able to move and speak. If there was such a thing as magic in the world as the old toy maker claimed, they really hoped that it would someday grant his wish.

They all stood just looking at Feliciano for a few moments before Arthur gave a sigh and broke the gentle, sad silence.

"Mr. Vargas, I did come in with a commission for you."

"Anything for you, dear boy." the man smiled as he went forward and gently lifted Feliciano off his desk, turning to place him delicately on the shelf behind his desk again.

"Well it's not actually for me." Arthur sighed again.

Romulus turned to him in sympathy.

"I know you want to fulfill your father's promise but I will never be able to understand how you are able to deal with such treatment for your own family and still smile. Why look at you, they won't even let you dress as anything but a servant."

Arthur sighed again. He had heard this from many in the village many a time, never when the rest of his family was present of course, and he was beginning to grow quite sick of it. It was none of their business what he chose to do with his life. And it pained him to hear his own wishes spoken directly to him by a different voice than his own.

"Please sir, my brother Peter would like a doll to give to mother as a birthday present."

"Then tell him to come get one himself." Romulus snapped.

Toris just stood quiet, content to be ignored while the two argued. He too had questioned Arthur about his choices but had been countered by Arthur's own questions about why he just kept waiting for something to happen and didn't take it into his own hands and go adventuring on his own. He had never brought the subject up to the young man again.

"Please sir" Arthur sighed again, "Mother never lets him go anywhere without her and he wants it to be a surprise."

Romulus sighed in exasperation and gestured at the shelves.

"Fine, take your pick."

He turned away from the foolish boy and went to take a tart from Toris.

Arthur sighed as well and began inspecting the many different painted faces before he stopped on a girl with a lovely gown of shining silk white, a short necklace about her throat, and a crown that shown silver, but it was her shoes that had caught his attention the most. Pure glass slippers. He knew that his mother had a fondness of anything of glass, and the idea of glass shoes would surely make her delighted. Besides, the doll reminded him of the way he had used to envision his mother in his youth.

"Sir, may I have this one?" he addressed Romulus, pointing out the beautiful doll.

Romulus looked where he was pointing and smiled sadly.

"Ah Arthur, you always find the ones I am most proud of. I only wish it was you that was keeping her, but yes, you may have Cinderella."

"Cinderella?" Arthur turned back to the doll and waited for Romulus to lift her off the shelf and hand her to him. The doll maker gave every one of his creations a name, and most had a story behind them as well. He waited for the man to explain this one.

"I wish you were keeping her Arthur, because her story is yours. Forced to work as a servant in her own house by her stepmother and stepsisters, Ella is often time covered with cinders from sweeping the fireplace, hence the nickname they have given to her. But one night, her fairy godmother comes to her while she is crying and grants her wish for freedom and to go to the ball. And so it is that night that you see her on. Dressed in the magnificent gown and slippers the fairy godmother has created for her, she is no longer a servant, but a beautiful princess, and soon she will dance with the prince and he will fall in love with her, but at the stroke of midnight the magic will end and she will be but a trapped servant once more, until the prince comes seeking the girl that fits the lost glass slipper. And then she will be found, free at last, and happy."

Arthur stared at the doll's face and sighed.

"That is not my story."

"Not yet" Romulus smiled and patted his shoulder, "But someday I truly hope it will be." He removed the doll from Arthur's hands and went around his desk to wrap it protectively for the trip back to Arthur's home at the edge of the woods.

Arthur just shook his head and sighed again as he pulled out the small coin purse Peter had given to him. He of course, had no money of his own.

"How much do I owe you sir?"

Romulus shook his head and came back to Arthur, smiling. He placed the wrapped doll into the young man's arms and closed his fingers back around the coin purse.

"Consider this my early birthday present to you, Arthur. Keep the money, and use it to buy something for yourself for a change."

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

As the two boys walked in the direction of the bookshop, Toris' second favorite shop in town after the bakery, the baker's assistant munched on a tart and posed a serious question to Arthur.

"What are you going to use the money for?"

Arthur shook his head and sighed.

"I don't honestly know. It's been awhile since I've had money for myself. I really should just give it back to Peter."

"Mr. Vargas told you to keep it. He's sure to ask what you used it for the next time you visit without your family. Will you lie to him?"

Arthur sighed and shook his head again.

"But I really have no idea what to buy."

"How about a book like I plan to." Toris laughed and rattled the coins from his most recent pay in his pocket.

Arthur shrugged, frowning.

"Maybe."

Toris was about to insist that it was a great idea when the thunder of horses met their ears accompanied by much whinnying. The two young men quickly vacated the road and watched from the edges with other townsfolk as the horses came riding into the center of town. They stopped before the fountain and one of the mounted men held up a scroll.

"Here ye, here ye. By decree of the monarchies of the land there is to be a grand celebration. A festival and many grand balls. All the royalty of the connected neighboring kingdoms will be in attendance at every one of the balls which will take place at a different location each time and the festival will take place in every town and last until the final ball. All free citizens of every kingdom are invited to attend the balls, and all citizens may attend the festival. This is the decree."

Toris looked at Arthur with shining eyes.

"The kingdoms have decided to bring the spring festival back. What a surprise. This is the exciting change I've been wishing for."

Arthur nodded. Thinking over the decree's words. All free citizens are invited to the balls, and all citizens are welcomed to the festival. Much as he didn't feel like it, he was actually a free citizen, which meant that he could attend the balls if he wanted to. And he did want to, except that he had nothing to wear. Suddenly he looked down at the doll in his hands and smiled. He touched the coin purse in his pocket for assurance and patted Toris on the shoulder whispering, "See you later."

"Where are you going?" Toris asked curiously.

"The tailors"

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

After the two boys had left his shop Romulus had turned his attention to the rest of the dolls on the shelf. His tired eyes picked out each of his special ones in turn and like always their stories came to his mind. He reached up and plucked one off the shelf with a sad smile as his thoughts went to Toris. The baker's apprentice was such a caring spirit but he really had too much of a desire for adventure. He stared into the doll's painted face and shook his head.

"I hope his desires do not lead him into the same fate as yours, Bell. He really is too gentle a boy to be the prisoner of a beast." he placed the doll back up on the shelf and selected another one. Taking her down to inspect her flowing white gown with feathers stitched in it. He walked over and set her on his work desk with a frown. Of all the other dolls, hers was the saddest story. Captured and cursed to be a swan until the moonlight spread over her on the pond, only then could she be human and hope that someday her beloved would come and find her and break the spell. But it was not to be. He would wrongly pledge his love to another, resulting in her death.

Every doll had a story, and every story seemed inspired by some truth. But he sincerely hoped that Oddette's did not.

"Feliciano" he turned to his beloved doll behind him, "I pity the child that holds her curse. I truly hope they do not exist in this world."

Feliciano, of course, stayed silent.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Matthew's pond was situated in a secluded glade with a small stone cottage up on the bank above it. It had once belonged to an elderly couple who had both passed away a few years ago and the cottage itself had fallen into ruin, overgrown by vines and weeds. If Matthew had been human he would have taken the time and care to fix it up. As it was he still waddled out of the pond every so often to make his way up to peer inside the empty building and try and chew some of the vines off.

Today the swan had decided it was time for another of those visits. He glided over to the edge of the pond and awkwardly slipped out onto the bank. As soon as he reached grass he shook out all his feathers and internally sighed. He had been a swan for so many years now that he was starting to forget what it had been like to be human. He had struggled against this so strongly, because to forget what it had meant to be human meant that he might also forget what it had felt like to be himself. He could just vaguely remember that his hair had been paler than others and had a strange anomaly about it. What that was he had forgotten. He also knew that he had not been able to see the best. That appeared to have not transferred to his present form. He had very clear eyesight. Clear enough to now see the figure sitting just inside the door of the cottage.

Matthew instantly stopped his movement towards the building. He assumed that it was the witch who had taken over his captivity when his initial kidnapper had died. She was nice enough, coming and talking to him, but he was still her prisoner. And he was still a swan. She had insisted that she didn't have the power to counteract Rumplestiltskin's spell on him, but he didn't believe her. He had sensed the power she had and he was certain she could have changed him back if she had been willing to go against her master's wishes.

Oh how he wished he could just be a human again! Before he lost all memory of who he had been before!

"So you are the one that called me to you then." The woman spoke up suddenly.

Matthew stared at her in surprise, though he suspected his face didn't show it. Swan expressions weren't very easy to read. Most tended to look the same to those that weren't swans themselves. Or swans that had been human.

The woman was studying him now, her eyes scanning over every inch of him. And now he could tell that just like her voice, she did not resemble the witch. Her eyes were a bright blue and her hair a striking ginger. Maleficent's hair was a dark brown, her eyes emerald green. And yet he sensed a power similar to his captor's coming from this woman. Perhaps she was a witch as well.

Suddenly the woman stood, her vast blue skirts billowing out about her and Matthew became aware that she was indeed not human. A pair of gossamer silvery wings spread out behind her. She was a fairy. He had heard legends of the fair folk, but had never seen one before. Not even in this forest of magic.

"So little swan that was human, your wish is to be human once more?" the fairy spoke to him with a sad smile.

Matthew stared at her in complete shock. Was it possible that the fair folk could read thoughts?

"If you are thinking it, no I cannot read thoughts. I read wishes and desires only." the fairy replied to him, "I am Marium of the good fairies. One placed with the title of a fairy godmother. My task is to grant wishes to those that ask it of me. So ask me to make you human and I will do it, though not directly at this moment."

Matthew let out a honking hiss while his mind screamed for her to make him human again.

Marium laughed and nodded.

"Very well, your wish will be granted but not until I find others with wishes as well."

Matthew was frustrated and couldn't understand why she couldn't just make him human right then and there but the promise that it would happen in time was still a relief.

The fairy godmother turned away from him and inspected the pond which he was forced to call home. She took in every inch of water and the surrounding bank and trees on all sides. It was far from the nearest town. It was secluded. And most importantly it was a body of water which the other child with the same wish as the swan would require. A merman must have water close by to survive.

"Yes I think this place will suit our needs perfectly."

Matthew blinked at her and gave a slight jump backwards as her striking gaze swung back to him.

"On the eve of the first ball I will return and gather all those who have made a wish to your pond. Until then, farewell little trapped swan prince."

She lifted a delicate pale hand towards him and vanished with a sparkle of blue magic.


	3. Chapter 2

Ch.2 Of Wishes and a Fairy Godmother

Kiku perched on the railing of the little bridge in his backyard. He looked down into the merrily dancing stream below and allowed his mind to carry him back to his favorite place. Home. Home with his brothers in the skulk, running together through the forest around their dwelling, splashing through the stream in both full form and not, and calling back and forth to each other in their language. Occasionally they would stop to relax in a particularly good smelling patch of grass before heading on to more adventures and discoveries. Life was peaceful. Life was perfect.

Kiku was broken from his memories by a figure appearing beside him. She hovered in midair just above the bridge and while he did not know exactly what she was, he instantly sensed that she was powerful, but not dangerous. He turned his attention from the water onto her, ears twitching with curiosity.

"You are a long way from home little kitsune." The woman spoke softly, with a sad lilt to her voice as she stared at him, "And your dearest wish is to return there. But you cannot do so under your own power for that would break your vow and put your little skulk brother's life in danger once more, correct?"

Kiku nodded and now noticed the delicate shimmering fabric that hung in the air behind her. No, it was not fabric, it was wings, delicate wings. And now he understood what she was and why she had come to him just then.

"You are a fairy godmother." He whispered.

"Your knowledge serves you well, I am indeed" She replied, "Would you like me to grant your deepest wish, little kitsune?"

Kiku simply nodded and the woman smiled.

"Very well then listen to me. In three nights time the balls will begin. On that night, if you want your wish granted, you must come to the swan's pond within this forest. It lies just south and a little west of here. And as it is still a part of your captor's domain you will not be breaking your vow by going there."

Kiku nodded, internalizing all she had told him with excitement and anticipation.

"Now I, Marium, will leave you until that time." the fairy nodded back to him and vanished, leaving behind the remnants of her magical presence.

Kiku reached out a hand to catch the dust and worked it around in his fingers. He had never felt magic with a clear form before, in his home all creatures with magic simply had it, it wasn't flashy or fancy and you could simply sense the traces of it, not actually see it in a physical form such as this dust. Carefully he slipped a little pouch out from under his robes and sprinkled the dust inside it. He wasn't sure if the item would be able to hold the magic for long, but he just had a feeling it might be needed later.

**~8~**~D**~P~**

Tino had always been able to communicate with animals, why he wasn't certain, but the ability did come with the benefit of being able to hear news from the birds that came from outside of his little area of the forest. He in particular enjoyed hearing of news from the local village just to the west and gossip from all the kingdoms in the land. And so it was that he had known of the upcoming balls and festival shortly after the princes had decided to hold them, long before the announcement had reached the village. And so it was that he had begun spinning an outfit for himself that he would have liked to wear to the celebrations if he had been allowed to go. He knew that he would not be allowed to, but he still was determined to wear the outfit and dance about in the glade outside his little cottage every night a ball occurred. The time since then had seemed to just fly by with him spinning and reworking the outfit until now, just two days before the first ball, the outfit was almost finished to his satisfaction.

Tino inspected each element of his outfit with the careful eye he had developed over the long amount of time he had spent as a captive in his cottage. Parts of it still frustrated him and he searched through his imagination and memory to try and figure out what he actually wanted them to look like, and how to make that happen.

"It's quite a good outfit. You have skill with a spindle, needle, and thread."

Tino jumped at the voice and looked to the entrance of his cottage where a figure stood. He had only ever seen women other than Maleficent from a great distance. The spell around his cottage kept normal people far away from it in order to keep his whereabouts a secret from the rest of the world. So it was considerably surprising to see a strange woman in the doorway. She wore a beautiful dress of silk with some white embroidery and some sewn in jewels throughout it. He couldn't help but admire the beautiful gown so he had lost himself in his world of cloth and creation again when the woman suddenly gave a laugh and stepped farther into the cottage.

"You are more interested in cloth and thread than in those who wear it I see."

Tino felt himself blush and tore his eyes away from the garment to stare into her bright green eyes. He was prepared to apologize and then ask how she got so close to him. Was it possible she was a servant of Maleficant?

"And yet, even though you seem content most of the time with your spinning, you do still have a wish for freedom from this cottage."

Tino blinked at her and his mouth opened in startled surprise.

"Who are you?" He finally managed to gasp.

"I am a fairy godmother." she pointed to her wings, "And if you like, I could be your fairy godmother as I am for three others. The most recent is like you, a captive, though he is completely trapped high up within a tower. I must say I've never encountered someone with such a bad temper and language. I suppose his situation must have the most to do with his attitude, but still, when someone is trying to help him like I was, one would think he should be more polite to them." she sighed before smiling at Tino again, "But enough of my troubles, would you like your wish granted?"

Tino looked away from her striking gaze, and the still mesmerizing clothing, and considered the possibility. It was true that he wished to be free to go from the cottage if he wished it. He was also curious about the village and what the palaces looked like. While the birds gave him plenty of information on the appearance of things, their descriptions were always very disjointed and probably not entirely truthful. The only way to truly know would be to see for himself. But he was also concerned about interacting with normal humans. He had been stolen away as a baby and raised in this cottage so he had never experienced what it was like to live amongst people. But freedom...oh freedom!

"Please" he turned back to her with a deep breath of determination, "Grant my wish."

Marium nodded and beckoned him to her. She walked outside with him and pointed in the direction of the swan's pond.

"In that direction lies a secluded pond where a beautiful swan lives. That is where I and the others will meet you in two nights time when the first ball is to take place."

"But how am I to get there when I am enclosed in this area by my captor's magic?" Tino sighed.

Marium considered that and went back into the cottage and touched the pieces of the festival outfit he was working on. With each touch the pieces glowed with her blue magic. Then she turned back to Tino.

"If you leave here wearing this clothing then my magic will allow you to pass through the barrier. But I warn you the pieces must be complete or else you will be knocked back by your captors magic."

Tino nodded and touched the cloth with a new reverence. But as he turned back to address the fairy godmother once more he found her gone, except for a shimmering disturbance of left over magic in the doorway of his cottage. He blinked, wondering if it had all been a dream and he would wake up soon. But as he held the cloth of his nearly complete festival outfit he sensed the magic coursing through it and knew that it had not been a dream. In two nights time he was going to be able to leave this place and be granted his dearest wish of freedom.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Feliks gently touched the glass dome around his most precious treasure, which was also the reminder of his cursed appearance. He growled and whipped away from the reflection of his haggard, beast face and turned to his second greatest treasure, the single un-ripped picture of himself in the entire castle. The young man that stared out of it was beautiful with bright blond hair, shining green eyes, nicely shaped face and perfect teeth. He wore no crown but the official medals on his jacket clearly stated that here was royalty. A prince. A prince now cursed as a large beast that wasn't quite any single, carnivorous animal. Fangs and clawed paws, sweeping wolf's tail. He could walk on both hind legs and all fours. He was a creature, no longer human, and slowly losing all parts of his nature that were even remotely human. And it was all because he had turned away an old hag that had turned out to be a powerful sorceress.

"Maleficent, I curse your name and all that you are." he roared to the ceiling and torn draperies in his room.

"Ah, so that is who is responsible for the curse on you, little prince."

Feliks whirled to the open doors of the balcony to find a woman in blue sitting up on the balcony railing. In complete surprise but with great uncertainty, as he could sense the power coming off of her, he approached the doors. Standing just inside them, he studied the woman, taking in every inch of her right up to the sparkling wings that the moonlight caught.

"You're a fairy!" He gasped. He had grown up reading stories about the fairies and hoped that maybe someday he would get to meet one, along with a unicorn and centaur of course. But though he had searched through the forest for hours on end in his youth he had never been able to find anything magical in the least. Not until the old hag had appeared at the door. He bare his fangs at the memory and glared at the fairy. Even if fairies were said not to harm people with their magic he was still not taking any more chances.

"Who are you and what do you want here?" he growled at her.

The fairy smiled and alighted off the railing with ease. She made not a sound as her feet touched the floor. Just a swishing of her gown as it settled around her again.

"It's not what I want, poor, cursed prince. It's what you wish for."

Feliks inhaled in a rumble.

"You wish to be human once more. As I am a fairy godmother I can grant that wish, though not to the full extent of breaking your curse you must understand."

Feliks knew that the curse being broken so easily was too much to hope for. Only loving someone and being loved in return could break it, but he jumped at the opportunity of his wish being granted in even the smallest of ways.

"I wish for it! I don't care if it's small or temporary, I just want to be human again! What must I do?"

Marium smiled and gave him the instructions to find the swan's pond. Feliks listened with a rapt attention he rarely possessed even in the times before the curse, and then stood back and watched as Marium swept her skirts around her and vanished in a swirl of magic. At her departure, he immediately turned back to the dome and caressed it gently.

"In just one nights time I will leave this place to have my wish fulfilled. And maybe someday I will be free of you forever, little, cursed beauty."

The rose beneath the glass shone with a brilliance that no normal creation of nature possessed. For this rose was enchanted, and it was the marker of Felik's curse. For when the last of its petals fell, his time as a beast would become permanent. His only hope was in love, a concept he had never much thought about in his days as a spoiled prince. Now, it was all he ever thought about. That and being human again. His deepest wish.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Arthur sat in the corner of the kitchen, on the stool that he did all his thinking on. And he certainly had a lot of thinking to do at the moment. Today, all the villagers questions to him about why he stayed and endured the treatment from his family had come into the forefront of his mind for the first time in years. On his mother's birthday days before, Peter had presented her with Cinderella and as Arthur had expected his mother had been absolutely delighted with the fine doll and she had praised Peter for his thoughtfulness. She had gone on to receive all the other gifts from her other sons before turning to Arthur with an expectant smile that quickly turned into a frown when all he was able to present her with were some fresh scones he had just finished baking. She had thrown the pastries across the floor and demanded where her actual present was. He had bravely stated that he couldn't buy her a present with no money, and that had earned him a slap. All the time he was enduring her raging he had tried to catch Peter's eyes, begging him to stop the abuse by telling their mother that it had been Arthur that had picked out the doll, but his brother stayed completely silent with his face turned away from the elder brother that had always shown him such kindness and always done his bidding without complaint. And that night even after all the abuse he had endured that day he still made dinner for his mother and brothers and obeyed her order not to take any for himself as punishment for being an uncaring son. And never since that time had he received a thank you or apology from Peter, not that he had really expected to but it would have made things easier to bear. But even after all of that he had still thought of the promise he had made to his father as well as the anticipation of the upcoming ball, when the tailor would be finished with the outfit Arthur had commissioned in order for him to have something suitable to attend the ball in. With the correct attire, all of his tasks completed, and a promise to watch over his younger brothers so that she could go off and enjoy the evening without being weighed down, he was certain that his mother would not refuse him the right to attend that ball as a free soul. But he had been wrong. It was the day of the ball and he had gone to the tailors to pick up his outfit. When he had stepped through the door he had instantly known that something was wrong. The yelling stopped immediately and the tailor's eyes turned to complete sorrow when he looked at Arthur. Arthur hadn't even bothered to ask what was going on, the tailor only had to say two sentences.

"Your mother was here. My apprentice is a fool."

And Arthur had turned around and run back to his house without delay. His mother was standing there in the kitchen, poking the fire.

"Where...where is it?" Arthur breathed, daring to look directly at her.

"You must be more specific, Arthur darling." the woman responded not turning to look at him, "I do not know what this _it _is that you are referring to."

Arthur could feel himself trembling and he forced his voice to remain calm.

"My outfit for the ball. I know you picked it up from the tailors. Where is it?"

His mother turned around and looked directly into his eyes with a smug smile.

"Why Arthur darling, I'm afraid you must be lost in your little dream world again. How could you have possibly paid for an outfit like that to be made when you said yourself you had no money to buy your beloved mother a birthday present?"

Arthur refused to let the tears that threatened escape, and simply sunk to his knees and put his palms out before him on the kitchen floor. His mother had watched him for a few moments before she walked to the door into the main house and called back over her shoulder.

"Your brothers need help getting ready for the ball. Go to them."

Then she was gone. And Arthur had picked himself off the floor and gone over to the fire, reaching the poker into it to shift what remained of the burning cloth within. Then he screamed. But that was all. No tears, and he still went to help his brothers get ready for the ball that he had been foolish to think he would ever be allowed to attend. He simply felt saddened for what must have been a fine piece of work from the tailor that had come to nothing but a pile of ashes in the kitchen.

But now, with the cart driving off with the rest of the family, he sat in his own little corner in his own little chair and began to allow himself to question his life. His father had asked his promise but would the kind man have really asked such a thing from him if he had known what Arthur would endure because of it. Was it possible that his father's spirit was shedding tears and wishing that his foolish son would stop meekly accepting the treatment and just forget the promise and run. Run far away to freedom. Now Arthur did allow himself to cry, putting his head into his hands.

The gentle hand on his shoulder startled him and he half expected to turn around and find his father standing there with sad eyes. Ready to tell him that he was indeed right. But instead, it was a beautiful young woman in a gorgeous blue dress and wings. She reminded him of one of the dolls in Romulus' shop. The one he called the Blue Fairy.

Arthur had been touched by magic. By this woman. A fairy.

"I'm here to grant your wish, child. Come with me."

He didn't hesitate in taking her hand before he closed his eyes.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Matthew was uncertain how he felt about the situation he suddenly found himself in. His pond was currently bordered by young men and a quite fearsome creature that preferred to remain in the darkness of the trees. But they could all still hear his deep growling breath and sense his piercing green eyes on them. The swan ruffled his feathers nervously, reminding the two other non-humans of his presence. The merman beside him splashed his tail in agitation as well and the fox-boy kneeling on the bank looked at him sadly. Despite being creatures more like him than humans, neither could understand him when he honked and hissed at them. But one of the other boys could. Despite being a human, this Tino could perfectly understand what Matthew the swan was trying to say. It was a shocking comfort to the cursed boy after being unable to communicate with any but the birds of his pond before. The other human that had been brought was currently seated up in the branches of the tree overhanging the pond. Lovino was unused to being low to the ground after living for several years high up in his tower, so he had opted to wait off the ground for Marium's return. He also occasionally muttered things under his breath which the others had started to get annoyed with. Matthew was about to honk at him again when a sudden change in the atmosphere alerted them that magic was about to enter the area again.

A glittering shower of blue appeared by the abandoned cottage, and a moment later Marium had materialized, holding the arm of another young man. This newcomer had sandy blond hair and bright emerald green eyes above ash smeared cheeks. His fingers were also dusted with ash and were clutched around a little porcelain doll. Lovino blinked to make sure the moonlight wasn't playing tricks on him, but another harder look proved to him that the doll did indeed look very similar to himself. And he had also recognized the boy holding the strange copy-cat. It was Arthur Kirkland, who had been part of the same village he had lived in with his grandfather, before Maleficent had stolen him away and locked him in his blasted tower! And with a brief pang, Lovino wondered if the doll in Arthur's arms was one of the old man's creations. He couldn't see it very closely but it did seem to have the same care and precision put into it that Romulus Vargas prided himself in.

Marium stepped away from the young man and went to stand in the center of the clearing by the pond. She swept her gaze over all the figures gathered together in the hopes of having their wish for freedom granted. For that was the universal wish. The types of freedoms were expressed in different ways but they were still a freedom from something. She began addressing each of them in turn.

"You wish for freedom from your tower. You wish for freedom from the vow you made to your captor. You wish for freedom from this form as a swan. You wish for the freedom from your fins to explore the human world. You wish for the freedom to go beyond the barrier of your cottage. You wish for freedom from the beastly form you have been cursed with. You wish for freedom from your cruel family and the promise you made to your father. And you little doll, you wish for the freedom to move and speak. I will start with you first." She addressed Arthur once more, "Set little Feliciano down before me and step back."

Arthur did as instructed, still rather surprised by being informed earlier that Romulus Vargas' precious little creation had a soul and a wish of his own. But he was excited to see that wish fulfilled, and Lovino was equally curious and rather anxious to see what was going to happen to the little doll that looked so like him.

Marium held up a hand and moved her fingers down so that a sparkling silvery-blue wand could appear. Everyone's eyes went wide at that and she smiled and took a breath as she grasped the tool that could distribute her magic to the humans in need. She was at last going to fulfill her duties as a fairy godmother and she was just as excited as the young men and creatures were.

She taped the tip of the wand on Feliciano's head and watched with the others as the sparkling magic enveloped the little doll. Within the swirling twister of magic the shape of the doll grew larger. Arms lifting upward towards the sky and legs set slightly apart in a way that almost looked like the figure was dancing. And as the swirling magic began to dissipate the figure's feet touched the ground delicately and their arms gently floated down to their sides. The group was shocked and confused, but none more so than the young woman who now opened her eyes. Feliciano looked down at her new human body with delight as well as confusion.

"Um, miss fairy..." she nervously tapped her bare feet together and rubbed her hands, "I think you made a slight mistake. I know I was just a doll so it really didn't matter but...I believe I was intended to be a boy."

Marium laughed and touched the confused girl's cheek.

"I did not make a mistake, dear little doll. All will be clear once I have granted the others' wishes."

"No way in hell are you turning me into a girl." Lovino snapped.

Marium turned her striking green eyes to the captive boy.

"You would rather return to your tower this instant?"

Lovino glowered at her but snapped his mouth closed.

Feliciano also looked at the boy up in the tree in wonder and realization suddenly swept over her.

"You're Lovino Vargas! You're who I was modeled after, because your grandfather missed you so deeply!"

Lovino blinked at the former doll and actually smiled a bit. So he had been right. The doll was one of his grandfather's creations. In particular one he had created in memorial of the grandson he had lost to Maleficent.

Himself.

Lovino was about to jump down and go over to speak with the former doll that came from his grandfather's shop, but suddenly Marium's wand was being pointed in his face. He tried to move farther away from it but it suddenly tapped his nose and once more a swirling twister of magic appeared. This time around him.

When the magic departed and left its burden down on the grass, no one was surprised to find another girl now in their midst. Her unbound, darker hair hung down past her shoulders unlike Feliciano's which was lighter and hung in two braids down her back. Lovino looked down at herself and gave a sniff of satisfaction, if she was going to be a girl for some reason, at least she was an attractive one with a fine red dress.

Marium now went around the group tapping each with her wand and then standing back as several swirling clouds of magic appeared around them. When they all dissipated, there was not a single boy left in the group. Kiku's ears and tail had disappeared and she now stood in a long pink kimono of the purest silk from her homeland, and she was just slightly shorter than she had been as a boy. Matthew the swan was now a wispy looking girl with incredibly pale hair that hung just below her shoulders and oval glasses perched on her nose. Lukas, the merman, stood in the water right beside Matthew. She looked down with wonder at her brand new legs, visible through side slits in her blue dress. She ran a hand down the side of one and smiled in absolute delight. Both she and Matthew were now human as they had only ever hoped to be. And so was Feliks. The beast prince came over to admire herself in the pond. Even though she was a girl, she was still human once more and she looked smugly down at her reflection. Long blond hair that fell far past her shoulders in a slight wave and her body looked really wonderful in the bright dress.

Arthur was less thrilled than the others. She stood with arms folded, not even wanting to know what she looked like. All she knew was that her hair was in bloody pigtails and for some reason, like the former swan, she now had glasses. This was not what she had bargained for when she had made her wish. She really couldn't understand what the fairy godmother had in mind by doing this. Like Arthur, Tino also wasn't looking at her new self but her reason was not from annoyance. She was inspecting everyone else's clothing.

Feliciano had a simple dress that covered her bust with a black belt of lace wrapped around her waist and skirt that hung down to just above her ankles. The sleeves clung off the shoulders with a poof style. The material appeared to be a light cotton and she liked the choice of white for the color, simple and innocent, yet elegant. Lovino's dress on the other hand was a heavier material with a flare bottom that almost resembled curling rose petals and fell just above her knees in the front and came down farther in the back. The top came right to her neck in a ruffle design and attached behind her neck in a single thin strip of material. Her shoulders were left bare but a form of trailing sleeves hung just below her arms and were attached under her armpits and by flowered red bands at her wrists. Kiku's dress was different than the others with a sash tied about the waist, long tight fitting skirt, and long sleeves that hung a little far off her wrists. The material was such a fine silk as she had never seen before and the main pink was accented with white and gold flower embroidery that shimmered same as the silk. Tino would be absolutely thrilled if she ever got the opportunity to work with such material. The former swan's dress was also a very long one that had its hem currently dipped in the water where she still stood. The material looked delicate and elegant, though not thin and light like the doll's. And the sleeves came down to her elbows in connected strips that looked like feathers and pointed at the ends. The top came all the way up towards her neck but turned into a clear tulle material above her bust and over her shoulders. Tino couldn't see the back but she suspected that that same material plunged all the way down the girl's back to end in a v right above her butt. The former merman beside her was also in a rather tight fitting, acetate dress of royal blue. A short sleeved, felt, black jacket covered her shoulders but Tino could tell by the way the dress was formed in the bust that it was in fact sleeveless. Tino was beginning to see a pattern that the type of dress matched what the person wearing it had been. A delicate dress for a delicate porcelain doll, a fiery and seductive style of dress for a firey young captive, a foreign style of dress for the foreign kitsune, a comforting but elegant dress for a graceful swan, and a dress with no sleeves and slits at the bottom for a merman unused to wearing clothes. Tino suspected that both the former beast's and the other young man's dresses probably suited them as well. The bright orange dress on the former beast was of the finest chiffon one could find in these parts and fell all the way to the ground. A single strap attached the sweetheart neckline up over her shoulder and had sewn in crystals coming down it and over one breast to attach with the shimmering crystals around the waist, in a fancy starburst pattern. The shoes that could barely be seen under the dress, sparkled with inset gems as well and the entire ensemble was completed by the white ermine wrap about her shoulders. This was a girl of noble blood, no question about that. And the last former young man besides himself was dressed in a deep green A-line gown of fine satin with amber jewels running up one side in a leaf and vine design and gold heels to match.

Now that she had thoroughly inspected everyone else's dresses, Tino was rather curious about her own. She walked over to the water and peered at her reflection in it. Violet skirt of satin that began right at the navel and had a single side slit with a sparkling sequined flower right above it, the top was also a sequined silver with just a few amethysts thrown throughout. The entire outfit set off her light violet eyes perfectly and she breathed in wonder as she ran her hands over the material. It was a magnificently made gown and she didn't mind one bit that it had no sleeves. The sweetheart neckline fit it perfectly in her opinion. She also had to admit that she liked her chin length hair that swept away from her cheeks in an outward curl. That was something she had never had to think about before.

Marium had given them all time to inspect themselves, Tino in particular she thought would need plenty of time to inspect all the different dresses, before she clapped her hands to draw their attention back to her.

"And now it's off to the ball, all of you."

They all blinked at her in confusion and she smiled and explained the rest of her wish granting.

"My power as a fairy godmother is limited by other rules such as the ones placed on you. I cannot grant your freedom forever on my own, but I can put you in the paths of others that can. The princes of the land will be at the ball. Their authority has the ability to break every limitation placed on you by circumstance. They can nullify the vow without placing your brother in danger. You will never have to return to your tower again. A kiss of true love will make the four of you human permanently. You can be free of that cottage and have spinning materials to your heart's content. Your family can still be taken care of with you being happy as well."

The young women all considered the wonderfulness of these possibilities, but Lovino suddenly spoke up with a slight sneer.

"Only problem is that we are actually boys. You're telling us that we can be saved by having princes fall in love with us without knowing what we actually are, and in four of our cases we too have to fall in love with the prince. That's kinda not what we ever expected to have to do."

Arthur nodded in agreement.

Marium sighed.

"I understand that it may be difficult but that is the only way that you will ever truly be free. I can get you part of the way, the rest you must do on your own."

"And you couldn't make it easier on us by having us go to the festival as really nicely dressed boys and try and woo princesses and other important ladies instead because...?"

"Because apart from the swan and Lukas, all of you would be recognized. And who would trust a boy with fox ears and a tail?"

Kiku looked down at her wooden sandaled feet sadly.

"And me?" Tino whispered.

"Maleficent will no doubt be there." Marium replied.

Tino shivered and nodded in understanding.

"So we have like, just one night to get the princes to fall in love with us? That's kinda an impossible task." Feliks put her hands on her hips.

"No you have every night of the ball. From now on as soon as the clock strikes 8 you will change into this form and be off to the ball. You have until the entire planned festival is over to accomplish your wish."

They all nodded at her and waited in anticipation for what was coming next. A way to get to the ball.

With a smile the fairy godmother approached the old cottage and struck it with her magic wand. Instantly it began to shift and reform until it was a magnificent large coach, complete with four snow white horses and driver and footman. As the group of eight girls piled into the coach, Marium suddenly remembered two more precautions.

"At the stroke of midnight the spell will be broken and everything will be as it was before. I would recommend you being back in your various homes, or at least back in this clearing, by that time. This is especially important for you Feliciano as it will mean that you will once more be a doll that cannot move on your own. You may want to just plan on being taken to the various homes of the others at the ends of the balls, without trying to make it back to your creator's shop."

Feliciano leaned out the window with a very worried look on her face.

"But if I don't return to the shop then won't master Vargas be so lonely and franticly try to find out what happened to me? He might think somebody stole me while he was away at the festivities."

"Well it would kinda be the truth." Lovino muttered.

Marium sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but if you don't make it there in time you could get broken. Staying with one of the others would be much safer."

Tino and Kiku both placed a hand on Feliciano's shoulders to gently pull her back into the carriage.

"Don't worry Feliciano, we will take care of you as a doll when midnight comes. We all promise this I'm sure." Kiku smiled.

Tino nodded in agreement.

Marium was all smiles again as she waved the carriage off. She had cast her spell and completed the first part of the granting, now she could only hope that her sister didn't find out about it before the eight new princesses could complete the rest of their wish on their own.

"Maleficent" she whispered sadly, "Please let them have this chance. All deserve to be free and happy."

She stayed in the glade by the pond for a few moments, after the carriage had sped out of sight with the trees parting before it, just looking up at the moon, before she made her wand disappear once more and vanished in a shower of blue glitter.

(AN: If anyone wants to make fanart of the eight lucky "princesses" in their dresses then please do! All I ask is that you let me know. :))


	4. Chapter 3

Ch.3 Of Princes and a Ball

Gilbert sighed and folded his arms.

"None of them out there are good enough."

"Or perhaps you're just too picky." Mathias chuckled, but he equally looked discouraged. None of the young ladies that he had met so far had sparked his interest. None had carried that special something that he had been hoping for. He wasn't entirely certain what that something was, but he was certain that he would know it when he felt it. When he touched her hands she would just feel, not quite real, not quite human. Alfred had described wanting it to feel like a spark of magic, though none of them knew what that felt like, except for Mathias. Mathias had seen magic in the form of a merman, and he desperately wanted to see it again.

Berwald had not found any of the ladies to be in wanting, but they had found him seriously unnerving as always. He leaned against the wall and brushed the hair away from his glasses, equally as discouraged as the others. It appeared that none of them had found someone that captured what they were looking for, though Antonio had been cheerful enough and flirted with several young women. But they had immediately been dragged off and talked to by their chaperones, any other prince would do before him, the half demon.

"We organized these balls in order to find our future queens, but it's looking like nothing is going to come from them, except simpering little girls with an eye for rich and powerful young men, and their mothers insisting we dance with their little dears whenever we finish dancing with someone else's." Alfred sighed, "Where's the magic in that?"

The princes all sighed and shook their heads, except for Heracles who appeared to have fallen asleep, resting on an ornate bench in the little unoccupied room they had managed to escape to briefly, and Ludwig who stood a bit apart from the others, staring out the window. He hadn't been interested in the balls the same as his fellow princes. He knew that when the time was right his grandfather would make a marriage arrangement, and he could only hope that she would try to look past his outer attitude to see who he was underneath. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as his mind once more concluded the possibility was probably very slim indeed. He was about to turn back to the others when a strange sight met his eyes. What appeared to be a carriage was coming up to the front of Prince Alfred's castle, but it was larger than any other carriage that had arrived that night. Even the most extravagant and elegant of ones he had happened to see had not been of this magnitude. As he continued to watch, the carriage pulled up just inside the gates of the palace and two footmen hopped down and each opened one of the double doors. And then...a delicate figure in white stepped out. Ludwig could not see her clearly from this distance, but he saw the way she carefully stepped out of the coach and onto the stony ground. Then she stepped a bit away from it, still delicately, as if she considered every step before she took it. But once she was in a cleared area she threw her arms out and spun in a circle, her twin braids and white dress seeming to float around her. He wasn't sure how he knew since her voice didn't carry to him and he couldn't even tell if she had her lips parted, but he was certain that the girl was laughing. She continued to spin until one of the other seven girls that had apparently emerged from the carriage came and caught hold of her to stop her. Then they joined the other six. Eight young women were about to join the ball. Eight different young women, and many different colors of dresses.

He turned back to the others, as the newcomers had now disappeared from his sight, in time to find Alfred, his brother, Mathias, and Berwald in an argument. He sighed and went over to break it up, also tapping Heracles to wake him up in the process. He wondered if he should tell the other princes about the new arrivals, but he supposed that they would eventually see them if they returned now to the ball as he was suggesting.

"This is specifically your ball to host, Prince Alfred." he reminded the younger royal, "You cannot hide from it all night."

Alfred sighed and nodded grudgingly. He opened the doors and stepped out into the hall. They were all expecting to be met by much laughing and shouting, and the tapping of many heels on a freshly cleaned floor. Instead...silence. Complete and total silence. The palace could have been deserted if they hadn't hastily made their way back to the main ballroom and seen the hundreds of people that still occupied it. But these hundred people were all silent, just staring at the entry grand staircase down into the ballroom. Eight figures were slowly making their way down the steps. Eight figures only Ludwig had seen before.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

"They're all staring" Feliciano whispered.

Tino and Matthew nodded and looked about nervously. They were both excited and scared, neither having been around so many people before in their life. For Lukas this was nothing new, his father's kingdom back home had contained this many people and being king he had hosted parties like this quite often. But this was his first time being around so many humans. Lovino felt the same the people from his old, little village would probably take up just one corner of this massive room, if that. As a creature of nature, Kiku felt out of place in this vast human dwelling. Arthur was terrified of meeting his mother and brothers and somehow being recognized, even if he was a girl now. So it was only Feliks that strode down the remaining steps with confidence and stood at the bottom with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling cheerfully at the other gawking guests.

By the time the others had joined her a small space had been cleared around the landing, though all the people continued to gawk at them.

"You would think they had never seen girls dressed like we are." Tino whispered behind her hand to Matthew, "But I know that these are common fashions in other areas. Just maybe not this kingdom in particular." She looked around at all the elaborate, floofy, ball gowns and couldn't help but compare them to her simple, strapless gown.

Feliciano and Lovino came to stand beside Feliks, and Lovino folded her own arms in front of her. She was about to ask why everyone was staring when the crowd that had formed a crescent in front of them suddenly parted and a group of young men came forward. And these weren't ordinary young men, they were the princes. The ones that the group of eight was supposed to find and make fall in love with them. Something that might actually not take as long as they had thought if the princes were looking at them the same as everyone else in the ballroom was.

They were.

Alfred stepped before all the others and bowed low.

"Welcome ladies, to my palace. I hope you will enjoy your time and have come eager to dance."

He grinned at the group and Feliks returned the smile and held out her hand to be kissed. Alfred did so, before he dropped it and turned to the others.

"I was surprised you were not announced at your arrival. Such fine young ladies as yourselves must be of the noble class. What household, or households, should we associate you with?"

"I'm sorry your highness, we do not wish to be associated with any specific household." Feliks laughed lightly, putting on her charm with the utmost of ease, oh gosh how she had missed this type of bantering!

Alfred frowned a little at that and swept his gaze over the others before Feliks spoke again and made him look at her once more.

"But we have come in the hopes of dancing. Perhaps I would be so bold as to suggest with you and your companions first?"

Alfred was a bit surprised by her forwardness but it was such a change from the usual simpering and fluttering of the other women in the room that he found he quite liked it. But when he had kissed this girl's hand it still hadn't felt quite like what he envisioned that spark of magic would feel, but perhaps one of her companions? Still, he would offer her the first dance out of courtesy and respect.

"Then may I request the first dance from you, miss...sorry I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Prince Alfred of this kingdom, what should I call you?"

"Felice" The girl replied without hesitation, "The lady Felice. And like, I don't think I'm the right one for you. Let's see..." she turned from him and examined her companions, "Hmm...not you, no, no, no, ah, yes!" She pointed directly at Arthur who blinked at her in surprise.

"Me?"

Feliks grinned and gripped Arthur's wrist, dragging her out before Alfred. She didn't let go of the other's wrist till she was certain that the other turned girl wouldn't take off at a run.

Alfred just blinked, still in shock from being refused by the woman who had been the one to suggest the princes dance with her and her companions. But a small shove from Gilbert woke him up and he looked more carefully at the girl that now stood before him. Her dress was a green like the trees of the forest and it brought out her matching green eyes quite nicely, though he suspected that the glasses she wore dimmed their brilliance slightly. And her light blond hair hung in two pigtails on either side of her head, tied with dangling green and gold ribbons. She was quite lovely, though not in an absolutely striking way. Alfred smiled and bowed again before holding out his hand to the girl. She took a few moments, and quite a deep breath that could have been mistaken for a sigh, before she accepted the hand. There was no spark, no clear indication of magic, but Alfred did feel slightly warmer at the small contact, and he thought her hand fit quite perfectly in his. He didn't wait another moment, not even to see the other princes pair off, though he could hear Felice's voice saying "not you, no, no, no..." again, as he lead the young woman back through the parted crowd and out onto the middle of the dance floor.

He lifted her arms up into their correct spots for dancing and grinned down at her. She was kinda a short girl; he found he rather liked that. The girl suddenly looked uncertain and his smile faltered slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not used to being the follower in a dance." she sighed.

Alfred blinked and started to laugh.

"Are you telling me that you usually lead in dances?"

Arthur realized her mistake and blushed furiously. She needed to be careful of letting things like that slip through. She was a girl now. A girl until midnight. And a girl was supposed to be used to being the follower in a dance.

"I..." Arthur tried to think of some excuse but she was saved by the arrival of the other princes leading six of her companions, none of which were Feliks to her surprise, and the music started up.

"Just try and follow my lead and you'll get used to this way in no time." Alfred grinned. And the dance began.

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Ludwig risked another glance at the young woman standing beside him on the balcony. He had managed to catch her again for the previous dance and had insisted that they take a break at the end of it and get some fresh air. The girl had been dancing nonstop for over three hours it seemed, so he was certain that she could use a break.

Feliciano rested her arms on the balcony railing and looked out dreamily at the moonlit garden. Several different pairs were strolling through various parts of it, far apart from the next, and the sight made her realize just how massive the palace grounds must be. It was just all so new to the former doll.

"It's all so big, and so beautiful." She sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying how the night breeze tickled her skin.

"Our garden is bigger." Ludwig blurted out and then realized what he had just said and cursed himself for boasting. That was his brother's forte. He himself was supposed to be the calm and collected one. But not tonight it seemed. Not around Feli.

Her laughter broke into the air, so joyful and pleasant to his ears and she turned to grin at him.

"Then I shall not consider any other garden big until I see the one at your palace. How long do I have to wait?"

Ludwig blinked and turned away from her so that he could try and remain calm and composed.

"The fourth ball will be hosted by Gilbert and myself."

Feli turned away as well and looked out over the grounds again.

"That's longer than I had hoped. But oh well, I'll still get to see you again at the other balls which will well make up for that. I like you Ludwig. It's really nice and fun to talk to you like this. Away from the crowd and their whispers."

He turned back to her in shock and she laughed.

"Oh yes I'm aware of how the other guests have been talking. We've all been aware of it." She sighed and looked down into the garden again, "It's affecting some of us more strongly than others."

Arthur was the main one being affected. She currently found herself walking through the gardens with Alfred. How that had happened she wasn't certain, but it was a bit of a relief from all the whispering and looks that had been directed her way all night. She had even seen her mother and brothers at one point and had narrowly avoided having to dance with Jamie, the eldest of her younger brothers.

"So that's basically my life in a nutshell." Alfred grinned and broke her from her musings. She hadn't heard a word of what he had said but knew that he would expect some sort of reply back.

"How interesting"

Alfred grinned again and nodded.

"Yeah it's pretty great. Though I have always wondered what my elder brother would have been like, and if he's even still alive out there somewhere."

_Bollucks I really should have been paying better attention to what he was talking about earlier! I have no idea what he's talking about now and how I should respond._

"I imagine he would be like you." she said hesitantly.

That must have been the right thing to say because the prince's grin spread even more.

"Yeah. We would have made a pair. The Super Alfred and his older brother, the Great Matthew."

Alice caught her breath at the name. It had to just be a coincidence. But then again they hadn't bothered to ask the former swan much about his past. Only the part about how he had come to _be _a swan. Thinking Alfred might have noticed her reaction she quickly turned it into a scoff.

"Keep dreaming, Super Alfred."

"Ah" the prince let out a sigh and grinned even more brightly at her, "That sounds even better when you say it, Alie."

"I've told you to not call me that." Arthur snapped.

Alfred just chuckled and gave her a mock bow.

"My apologies, Lady Alice."

Arthur turned away and folded her arms, pretending to herself as well that there was not a blush spreading across her cheeks.

The same went for Tino who just stood staring at the wooden swing.

"I promise I won't let you fall." Berwald bowed low once more, "I promise, Lady Tina."

_That's not really the problem. _Tino thought nervously.

She had been paying more attention to the prince's clothes and trying to keep up with the dance than really paying attention to her dancing partner himself during that first dance. But after that when she had actually had to look up to thank Berwald for the dance she had discovered that...the guy looked frankly scary!

But as all the other princes had already gone off with one of her companions, he had been the only option left. And so she had gone and found him and asked him if he wanted to take a walk with her. And somehow they had ended up in this hedged in section of the garden with a large oak tree, and a wooden swing. And now Berwald wanted to push her.

It was a bit overwhelming to the boy used to being confined to a tiny space around a cottage. And Berwald still appeared to be angry at something, and not worried about letting it show through his scowling face. She wondered if he had some sort of magical power like Maleficent and Marium which allowed him to see right through her disguise to the boy that she really was. That would certainly explain the scowl, but not why he had agreed to accompany her to the gardens.

As she still hesitated, Berwald suddenly came back around and offered his hand.

"It's getting kinda late. Why don't we just head back into the ballroom for tonight."

Tino blinked in surprise and took his hand, looking at him uncertainly. It could have just been her imagination but she thought his expression looked a bit pained now through the scowl. Had he really wanted to push her on the swing that much and he took her silence as meaning she really didn't want to? It was kinda the truth, but still surprising that he might have been that disappointed by it.

As they headed out of the little area in the garden, Tino wondered who else of her party felt like they had disappointed their prince.

Lukas could tell that Mathias was a bit frustrated with her not really speaking to him. And she had to admit that she was acting rather even more emotionless than she did at her own home under the sea with her father and younger brother, Emil. She knew that she should be talking and flirting and doing everything she could to get Mathias to fall in love with her so that she could be a human permanently, and actually in her own form, as Lukas, not Luka as she had told the excited and arrogant prince.

There was another problem as well that made her a bit uneasy around him. Mathias was the one that had appeared in the secret cove when she had been in her true form as a merman. He was the one that had seen her and she was now certain that he had told everyone he knew about the encounter, because tonight he had told her about it as well. Her actions had exposed the existence of her family and the rest of the kingdom to the humans. She had possibly put Emil in danger! But the fact that the human had been Mathias was also the reason she stuck to him now. Sitting on the edge of the enormous fountain in the garden, she had to find out what was planned in regards to her kind.

But when she had posed the question a few moments ago, Mathias had just shrugged and gone on to a different topic instead. Rather frustrating! She highly doubted any of the others had encountered a prince that was more aggravating than Mathias.

But Lovino begged to differ.

Antonio was by far the most idiotic, overly cheerful, overbearing, and aggravating man that she had ever met. And what was the worst was the fact that it was all just an act. Antonio was trying way too hard at speaking loud and fast with nothing but cheer and laughter, that it was absolutely clear to Lovino that the prince was used to hiding his true self, probably even his true feelings, and had been doing it for a very long time. It made Lovino both angry and curious. Angry because it reminded her that she too was putting on an act, literally being something _he _wasn't in order to try and get _his _wish. And curious about what the strange prince would really be like with all his false layers stripped away. Was it possible that she could find out in the amount of time that it took for him to fall in love with her. And did she really want such a false individual to fall in love with her in the first place?

For the sake of getting out of that blasted tower for good...yes she was willing! Though not at all happy about it.

Matthew shared similar sentiment. Annoying, loud, boastful, full of himself, brash, a bit crude. These were all the words she would use to describe Prince Gilbert Beilschmidt. She cursed Feliks for choosing him to set her up with, but it was imperative for the sake of time that he be the one she continued to try and make fall in love with her. She wondered as they walked under some swaying trees on the garden path if all of her companions were feeling this same way, and why Feliks had not paired herself off with a prince. Could it be that as she had been a prince herself that it would be strange to her to make another fall in love with her? But didn't that idiot beast-prince understand that it was awkward for all of them?! And what in the world would happen when this was all over and they were exposed for what they really were. Much as she shouldn't care, it wasn't a pleasant thought to have this prince being disgusted by what she really was. But more frightening was the idea of being stuck as a swan for the rest of her life!

Matthew must have been frowning because Gilbert's voice suddenly grew slightly quieter.

"Something the matter, Lady Madeline?"

"Oh no" Matthew assured him quickly, snapping from her worries, "Just lost in thought I guess. Sometimes I get a very concentrated look on my face when I do that."

Gilbert chuckled.

"Never saw a girl so concentrated over thoughts of balls and food and frilly dresses, and princes like me too of course."

Matthew gave him a hard look.

"Do I look like one of those girls who muse over things like that?"

"Not particularly." He grinned, "But then again I just met you. How am I to know that you actually have a brain?"

"Because all girls have a brain!" she said indignantly, "Even if we don't all show so outright."

Gilbert burst with laughter.

"And even if most don't speak their minds. You are truly something special."

Matthew couldn't stop from bushing. Life as a swan had given her too much time to think, and not enough time to speak. So now it seemed that she couldn't stop from blurting out whatever she most fervently thought, even if it was in a soft voice.

Gilbert chuckled again and took her hand.

"I guess I've been talking too much and not letting you have your turn. Can't help it, I'm used to girls that do nothing but listen and bat their lashes. I guess I can't get away with that as much as I would like anymore. Not with you around."

"And how do you know that I'll be around in the future."

Something came over the prince's face, something she had not expected to see so soon.

"Won't you?"

Matthew found herself smiling and nodded.

"Yes"

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

And so with all of her companions occupied by princes, it fell to Feliks, sitting inside and holding conversation with a most uncertain baker's assistant, to keep watch on the time and realize that it was getting close to midnight.

"Oh my! It's like 11:30!"

Toris looked at her in surprise and curiosity.

"Is there something significant about that."

"My companions and I must be gone by midnight." Feliks explained and looked around, noticing for the first time that none of the other former boys were around.

Toris frowned.

"Your parents have a strict curfew?"

"You could say that." Feliks nodded and looked around again. She was not about to turn back into a beast in the middle of the ballroom just because one, or all, of the others couldn't stop flirting enough to notice the time. At last she spotted Feliciano out on the balcony nearby.

"I must go, but perhaps we'll meet again at a later ball Mr. um...sorry did you ever say your name?"

Toris sighed.

"You prefer to talk rather than listen, but yes I did try and tell you my name at one point and I guess you didn't hear."

"Well tell me it again then." Feliks tapped her foot impatiently.

"Mr. Laurinaitis. To..."

"Last name is fine for now." Feliks waved her hand, "See you later, Mr. Laurinaitis."

Toris was left feeling baffled and confused and not at all remembering anything else she had said during the course of the night. Only the way that his name had sounded coming from her lips.

_Apparently you can fall in love by just a simple few words_. Toris mused and then sighed. _But why does it have to be with someone so...well, I actually can't describe her. She's just...Lady Felice._

**~8~**~D~**~P~**

Back in the carriage Feliciano was the most talkative of the group and went over and over about the wonderful ball.

Lovino just rolled her eyes and voiced what was most of their concern.

"What time is it? And who is going to take care of him as a doll till tomorrow night?" She pointed at Feliciano.

"I don't know about the time, but he's welcome to stay in the little abandoned cottage near my pond tomorrow if he wants." Matthew spoke up softly.

"Hey don't talk about me like I can't decide for myself!" Feliciano protested, "Actually, I was hoping Lovi would take me this first time. We are basically brothers after all."

Lovino looked at her in surprise and smiled briefly before she shook her head and scowled again.

"Brother? You're a blasted doll! But fine, if you want to that much then I'll let you stay in my tower till tomorrow night."

"Well, now that that's established..." Arthur nodded, "are we agreed on when to meet tomorrow so that we can get to the next ball?"

The others all nodded and then gave gasps and shut their eyes against the sensation suddenly pouring over them.

The carriage hit a bump and was jostled.

"Look out!" Lovino shouted and lunged just in time to stop the doll from falling to the floor. He lifted him up into his lap and gave a great sigh, "That was close."

Kiku nodded from beside him and touched at his ears nervously. "It appears that midnight has hit. We'd all best hope this carriage will remain until we arrive back at the pond."

The swan gave a tired squak before settling down on the seat opposite from the kitsune.

Tino looked down at his normal clothes with a sigh. "Goodbye lovely gown."

"Until tomorrow night." Arthur nodded and glanced nervously at the beast to one side of him and the merman on the other side. He wondered how long Lukas could last out of the water before he started to dangerously dry up. He appeared to be able to breathe at least.

Lukas met his eyes and smiled slightly.

"So long as I get back to water before half an hour I think I should be fine."

Arthur nodded and silently urged the carriage to pick up speed if it could.

And as if it ran based on their thoughts, the horses and carriage did indeed pick up their pace.


	5. Chapter 4

Ch.4 Of a tower and crest

Lovino sighed as he finished his morning chores and turned to the shelf where he had placed the little doll. It was a little unsettling that the doll could do nothing but sit still and stare at him out of its wide, auburn brown eyes, and yet underneath that porcelain exterior Feliciano was paying attention to everything he did and wishing him well. At least he presumed the little spirit of the doll was wishing him well, he couldn't be sure since Feliciano couldn't speak since becoming a doll again.

Lovino sighed again and walked over to the window and pushed open the shutters to let the morning sunlight and fresh air into his tower. He still couldn't wrap his head how he had gotten back into it the night before. One moment he was standing on the grass by Matthew's pond after having exited the carriage, the next moment he was standing in his room in the tower, fortunately Feliciano had still been in his arms at least. It would have been bad if he hadn't been able to keep his promise to the little doll. His brother?

Lovino scoffed and shook his head. "Heck no! He's just a doll! A doll my grandfather created after my image." he sighed and felt a pain in his heart, "I didn't realize how broken nonno was by my kidnapping."

He went over and picked Feliciano off of the shelf and held him up to study him closer. He really did look almost identical to Lovino himself, except for the curl on the opposite side and the auburn hair and eyes. Lovino's hair was a deeper brown and his eyes were a dirty shade of green. Like moss or a pea, his grandfather had sometimes teased him about that.

Lovino sighed again and carried Feliciano over to set him in one of the chairs.

"Might as well put you somewhere comfortable, though I don't suppose you can actually feel anything like this, can you?" Lovino laughed. "Look at me, I'm talking to a doll like I've lost my mind! Even though you're a special one. You be sure to tell me the answer when you're alive again tonight."

Lovino laughed again and went to go grab a book to read, maybe out loud to Feliciano, when the sound of hoofbeats caused him to stop and stare to the window again. Maleficent usually just popped into his tower without warning, it had caused some awkward scenes a couple of times, so he was fairly certain it couldn't be her. But there was no way that it could be anyone else since she had supposedly magiced the tower to be impossible to be seen or found by normal humans. So today the stupid sorceress must have decided to visit him on horseback.

"Showoff." He muttered and then his eyes snapped as he realized something, "If she notices Feliciano then there's going to be questions! I have to hide him!"

Lovino quickly spun in a circle to scan the room for a good hiding place, when his eyes landed on the wardrobe over in the corner.

"That'll work!" he breathed in relief and went racing over to it and carefully placed Feliciano in the bottom behind some dangling coats to hide him from view in case Maleficent opened the doors for some reason.

"Ok" he breathed again as he shut the doors, "I've got the doll in my closet. Now I just have to wait for that witch and act natural."

But as he walked over to the bookshelf to select something to pretend to be reading on his bed when she arrived, it was a male voice that carried up to him. And as he blinked and approached the window cautiously, he was shocked to find he recognized it quite well.

"This is really strange, Max. I thought we just got a little ahead of everybody else but it's been a few minutes now and there's no sign of them. Do you think something could have happened to them? Should we go back and look?"

Lovino heard a horse whinny and then Antonio's laughter.

"Well that's not much of a reply, then again, talking to a horse that's probably all I should have expected to get."

There was more laughter and it tugged at Lovino making him skirt up close to the window's edge just to hear it clearer.

"Well maybe I'll just wait a little longer and take a look around."

Lovino heard a soft thud as he presumed Antonio had dismounted.

"Whoa! That is one tall tower! But what is it doing here in the middle of the forest not attached to anything?"

Lovino smiled a bit. *If only you knew*

He listened for Antonio to speak more but that didn't happen for another few minutes.

"Well there is a door here, but it appears to be locked and ivy has been growing over it. Hmmm...so this tower hasn't been used in awhile then?"

The horse whinnied again and Antonio's laugh carried to him once more. "What is it, you're usually not this restless unless something unusual is around."

Another whinny and Lovino risked a peak out the window. He glanced down to see Antonio far below him, back turned and stroking the neck of a lovely white stallion. The horse whinnied again and nodded his head up in the direction of the window.

Lovino gave a slight gasp as Antonio turned to stare at what the horse seemed to see. It felt like their eyes met before he whirled back against the wall by the window, breathing heavily.

There was no reason he should be acting like this, he was acting like a stalking girl afraid of being caught by the boy she was longing for. But he wasn't! Antonio was just a way for him to escape from the tower! He didn't care about him at all! So why then...? Why did just seeing those bright green eyes make his heart start pounding and his body tremble?

"Hey!" Antonio's voice came up to him again, "Don't hide! I didn't mean to stumble into your clearing uninvited! I'll leave if you really want me to but first I'd like to talk to you if that's ok?"

*N-No it's not ok! I don't want to talk with you, I...* Lovino shook his head and laughed at himself, *I'm being ridiculous! I'll just give him a piece of my mind, tell him to get away from my tower and not come back! And I'll just take Feliciano back to the pond tonight before coming back here on my own! I'll get out of my predicament without anybody's help!*

He whirled back to the window and put his hands on the bottom of the frame to steady himself as he leaned out a bit.

"Go away!"

Antonio blinked and then laughed. "I guess you really don't like visitors. Hey what are you doing alone in a tower? Or are you alone? What's your name?"

Lovino blinked down at him and gritted his teeth. *I knew he wouldn't leave that easily. Well fine, you're going to find out that Lovino is rather different than the girl you met last night. Oh crap, that reminds me that I can't use my actual name or he might get suspicious! Then again...* he stared down into Antonio's blinking and grinning face, *he might be stupid enough to just let something like that go over his head!*

Lovino chuckled to himself inwardly before shouting down at Antonio again. "You said you would leave if I talked to you. I talked to you, now leave!"

Antonio grinned. "You're stubborn, but that's not what I meant by talking to you. And you still didn't answer my questions."

Lovino sighed and leaned back inside the window and folded his arms. "You're a stubborn idiot too. What if I don't want to tell you those answers? What will you do?"

Antonio just continued to grin and patted his horse. "Me and Max will stay here until you do."

Lovino gaped and then sighed. *And he would do it too* "Very well, my name is um...Romano, and this tower is my um...home."

Antonio blinked. "It is? But why does it look like the door hasn't been used in years? Surely you must have ventured out at some point in the recent past to get supplies?"

*He is more observant than I gave him credit for* Lovino sighed and then leaned out the window again. "That's no concern of yours. Just who do you think you are coming here and asking me so many questions?"

Antonio smiled and made a bow. "Prince Antonio Fernandez Carriedo of Pasena, at your service."

Lovino smirked a little, having expected that but still finding it amusing all the same.

"How do I know that? I'm a lone boy in a tower who's never been to the other kingdoms. You could be lying to me in the hopes that I'll get scared by the prospect of talking to royalty and let you into my tower out of hospitality or something!"

Antonio seemed to consider that and scratched his head before his eyes lit up and he detached something from his shirt.

"Catch!" he shouted and whipped his hand back before letting something small and shining loose.

"The hell?!" Lovino yelped as he reached out desperately to catch the object from falling. It was metalic and bit into his palms before he opened them to look down at it. The etching on it was intricate and included what looked like a different language as well as the word Espa. His eyes widened and he clutched the object before staring down at Antonio once more and waving it around.

"Is this seriously the Espa royal crest?!"

Antonio grinned and nodded.

"There's your proof that I'm who I say I am."

Lovino just gaped at him.

"Are you an idiot?! You don't just chuck something important like that at somebody you've just met and know nothing about! For all you know I'm a thief and this is my hideout and I'm gonna hold onto this until I can sell it for an enormously high price!"

"If you do and I see it at some point then I will be able to direct the authorities right to you and give them an accurate description of you as well." Antonio replied with a smile, "But I really doubt you're a thief. In fact..." his eyes suddenly turned sad, "It almost seems like you're a prisoner. The door into the tower is grown over and locked and unless you've got a ladder hidden up there I can't see another way for you to get down."

Lovino flinched *So he is somewhat observant* and then decided to lie.

"I do have a ladder. I can get out any time I want."

Antonio blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Then come down right now."

Lovino flinched again and gritted his teeth.

"I don't want to. You're annoying me; go away."

Antonio smirked a bit which made Lovino clench his hands and grit his teeth more. The nerve of the guy for smirking at him!

"You have my crest." the prince pointed out, "I can't leave without it. If you can get out of the tower then bring it to me as proof."

Lovino clenched the windowsill even tighter and cursed at Antonio's persistence. He was not going to get out of his lie easily it seemed. And his creative excuses had completely failed him now it seemed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try and force something to come to him, when a pop behind him made him turn in surprise and alarm.

"Well Lovino, I brought you some ingredients so you can make me that delicious meal again, whatever you called it, I don't remember." Maleficent smiled smugly and turned to place the basket on the table.

Lovino just stood and stared at her as he desperately slid Antonio's crest into a pocket, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"And" Maleficent continued as she turned back to him and walked over, "Where's my hug? Your adoptive mother wants her hug."

Lovino glared and folded his arms.

"Adoptive captor you mean."

Maleficent sighed and swept over in her dark robes and wrapped her arms around him anyways.

"Nice to see you again, Lovi."

"The feeling's not mutual." Lovino snapped and pushed her away, hoping she hadn't seen out the window. He made a point to keep himself between her and the view as he tried to keep his breathing calm. No one was supposed to find his tower. Up until Antonio had arrived below it he had believed that the sorceress had placed a magical barrier or something to the like around it so that no one could find it.

A sudden thought came to Lovino and he fingered the crest briefly. *Was it possible that Antonio wasn't as human as he seemed and that was how he got into the clearing? But then...what about his horse?*

As if on cue, a whinny came from outside and Lovino caught his breath while Maleficent suddenly stiffened and whipped her attention off him and forced him out of the way as she billowed over to the window and stared out.

"What in the...?!" She gasped and glared with fury down at the whinnying horse and Antonio.

"Um hello up there" Antonio called out as cheerily as he could, "I didn't realize Romano wasn't alone." he made as if to say something else but Maleficent stopped him with a shout,

"Go away!" and slammed the shutters before making a motion with her hand and whirling back to Lovino.

"What have you been doing? What was a prince doing in the clearing? What did you tell him?"

She came threateningly closer to him with each furious question and despite his pride and attempts at seeming unafraid of her, he knew the look in her eyes and it made him back up as quickly as he could till his back was up against the wardrobe where he had hidden Feliciano. He trembled and really hoped that she wouldn't send a blast of magic at him, because even if he dodged the wardrobe, and therefore the little doll, would most surely be destroyed. So he let his fear show on his face and hoped that it would appease her as he forced the answers through his lips.

"I didn't tell him anything. He just wandered into the clearing and I accidentally passed by the window so he saw me. He doesn't know I'm a prisoner in the tower. He doesn't even know my actual name. And I didn't know he was a prince. Please, I'm telling the truth. You don't have to do anything to him."

He had seen her hand gesture upon shutting the window and wondered what magic she had performed on Antonio already.

Maleficent stopped her advance and just stood facing and studying him till she seemed satisfied he really was telling the truth and turned away from him and walked briskly to the table.

"All I did was spook his horse so it bolted and he would be forced to race after it. If he knows what's good for him then he won't come back. Not that I can really stop him from that since he seems to have the ability to break through a perfectly good magical barrier."

Lovino took a breath. *So Antonio isn't a normal human then.* He wondered exactly what that meant when another realization struck him. He still had the prince's royal crest!

"Come on and start making our meal, Lovino." Maleficent called and made him jump despite himself. The sorceress frowned but presumed he was still on edge from her threatening advance earlier and decided to just ignore him and used her magic to wash ingredients in preparation for him.

Lovino forced himself to breathe normally as he started food preparations and tried to figure out a safe place to store the crest so that his captor would never find it and start asking questions of him again. Then he began to worry what would happen if the changing spell took affect on him and Feliciano before the woman had left. He was sure that it wouldn't be in the least bit good. He was especially worried what she would do to the former doll. Despite trying to convince himself that he really should care nothing for Feliciano, that they weren't actually related, he couldn't stop himself from feeling like the doll really was his little brother. And that meant that he had to protect him from any threats. Threats like Maleficent.

As he moved about the little kitchen he made sure to keep checking that the sorceress hadn't gotten anywhere close to the wardrobe. Fortunately, she seemed intent on helping him chop vegetables so that they could get to the actual meal as soon as possible. He internally breathed a sigh of relief and went to collect some herbs from the cupboard.

As he was reaching towards the back of the shelf and wondering why in the world he had pushed the particular herb he needed so far back, a realization struck him. For the time being, far back in the cupboard was probably a safe place to store Antonio's crest till Maleficent left. She was about the same height as him and would not be able to get into the cupboard without him noticing first. It was the perfect solution, if he could pull off getting it out of his pocket without her noticing.

He watched his captor out of the corner of his eye as he continued to pretend to rummage in the cupboard for the herbs until he was sure she was intent on her task of chopping. Then he quickly reached into his pocket and slipped the crest out and placed it gently towards the back of the cupboard shelf in one swift movement, making sure not to let it make a tinking sound as it came in contact with the wood. Then he forced himself to continue to breathe normally as he let his fingers at last close around the herbs and dragged them out before shutting the cupboard door and turning back to Maleficent and the food.

"You might want to move your herbs to a different location." the sorceress spoke up suddenly, "You seemed to struggle getting them out of that cupboard."

Lovino forced himself to stay calm as he replied back as normally as he could and not show her his anxiety that she had seen the other thing he had done involving the cupboard.

"It's my tower, I can keep things where I want."

Maleficent smirked and finished chopping.

"Fine, make things difficult for yourself. But it slows down your cooking time which pushes back our mealtimes. Which is a hassle for myself."

Lovino snorted and pointed his stirring spoon at her.

"If it's a hassle for you then stop expecting me to feed you all the time. Go bother one of your other captives for a change."

Maleficent smirked again and shook her head.

"They're no fun to mess with. All politeness and calm obedience. Your stubbornness and retorts are what I truly enjoy about my role as captor."

Lovino gritted his teeth and whirled back to the food without another word, since that was clearly what she loved most about bugging him. Much as he would like to yell and call her off, that would just be playing into her hands and giving her what she really came there for.

Maleficent's smirk turned into a laugh and she reached out and ruffled his hair.

"Your angered silence is pleasant too. Hurry up and finish making our meal already. Then maybe I'll consider leaving you to your own devices."

Despite his desire to spite her more by going as slowly as he could with the food, Lovino knew that he needed his captor to leave before the spell took affect. For the sake of the little doll sitting hidden in his cupboard. For this reason alone did he start stirring and adding ingredients and seasonings more quickly.

Well that...and his stomach had decided just then to let him know he hadn't eaten much yet that day.

At last he set the food before them on the table and served Maleficent and then himself. They ate in silence after that but he kept nervously glancing towards the window to see the light slowly fading from outside. He wondered how late it was getting and how much longer the sorceress would stay with him, watching him. He had no idea how she would react if he suddenly turned into a girl right before her eyes but he was certain that she would strengthen the defenses around his tower and start investigating into where he had gotten the ability from. And if that happened, how in the world would Felciano leave ever again. His grandfather would be left alone again wondering who had stolen his beloved little doll.

Maleficent glanced up at him as she finished her meal and daintily wiped her lips with a cloth.

"Is something troubling you, Lovi-dear? You keep glancing towards the window as if expecting something to happen."

Lovino cursed himself for being so obvious and shrugged.

"Just listening in case the man and horse come back."

Maleficent pursed her lips and glowered as she got up and walked to the window. "They had better not. I won't be so forgiving next time."

Lovino shivered at the tone of her voice and thanked the gods that he had hidden Feliciano in anticipation of her coming.

The sorceress continued looking out the window and mused to herself.

"Still...perhaps some upgrades in my magic defenses wouldn't hurt."

Lovino cursed inwardly and desperately tried to think of some excuse why she shouldn't. But nothing he could think of wouldn't arouse suspicion. It was a lost cause, but just at that moment the sorceress paused and shook her head.

"No, I must save my magic for the festivities tonight. The prince has asked the magic users in his kingdom to handle some of the effects that night. Including fireworks and other spectacles with lights." She smiled smugly at Lovino as she came back over and tapped his cheek, "Try not to have too much fun here without me." she laughed and with another pop, was gone.

Lovino breathed a sigh of relief and waited until he was certain that she was not coming back before he went to the wardrobe and took Feliciano out. "

Now we just have to wait until 8 when we turn back into girls and are taken from this place. In the meantime..." he set Feliciano down on the table as he started cleaning up and then went to the seasoning cupboard and pulled out the crest, "I need to find a better hiding place for this. I can't very well give it back to him tonight or he'll wonder how I got it and start asking questions about the boy in the tower."

He shook his head again with a sigh and turned around to face Feliciano again but instead found himself looking at the human girl standing before the pond just like last night. He looked down to find _herself _in a dress similar to last night's but not with all the flowers this time.

"Well" she breathed and looked at the other girls who had arrived or appeared by magic, "Here we go again."

Feliciano smiled and twirled one of her braids.

"Second night. Second ball. New palace."

The cabin was a coach once more and the footmen beckoned the girls over to it hastily. And one by one they stepped inside mixed levels of anticipation, excitement, and dread.


End file.
